Dartmouth

The safe arrival of the Dartmouth after a
remarkably rapid passage of 81 days from Hong Kong, with 500 Chinese
immigrants (436 men, 47 women, and children) imported at the instance
of certain members of the West Indian Committee, inaugurates what we
sincerely hope will prove to be the immigration system of the future.
. . . Taking them as a lot, these new immigrants are just what they
could be wished. Active, muscular, and healthy, most of them used to
hard continuous labour in tilling the ground, they give the promise
of turning out industrious and trustworthy labourers, such as are
greatly required on the sugar estates. In the Hong Kong Agent’s
letter to Mr. Ferris Grant, he says the people belong to a peculiar
race of Chinese called Hakka, celebrated for their industry and
hardiness. As soon as the vessel entered the harbour yesterday
afternoon, the immigrants exhibited the greatest impatience and
anxiety to put their foot on land. Some of them were carried away by
this feeling to such a pitch that they jumped over board to swim the
short distance between the vessel and the land, and the ship’s boats
had to be lowered to their assistance. When this was reported to Mr.
Crosby he at once sent a Chinese Interpreter on board to tranquilize
the people and explain to them that they would not be detained on
board a moment longer than would be necessary to make the
arrangements between them and the estates on which they would be
settled; and as soon as these arrangements were completed they would
be able to come ashore and meet their countrymen. The people heard
the Interpreter with every show of respect and at once consented to
do as he had suggested. The Immigration Depot has been surrounded
these two days with well-dressed Chinese waiting to receive their
fellow countrymen and give them a welcome. Amongst the new arrivals
are sixty-five Christians who expressed a desire to be located
together on one estate, and this has been done as nearly as
practicable under the system of allotment decided upon by the
Planters’ Committee which fixes 50 as the number to be sent to an
estate, the fiftieth man being a headman or ‘driver’ who, it is
anticipated, will be able to exert a powerful and salutary influence
over the 49 people under his charge. The people, we may mention, will
be under no legal obligation to work upon an estate. . . .
[Royal Gazette, 13 Feb 1879]